Under the rural development ministry’s total sanitation campaign (TSC), there is a clear provision for building of separate toilets in all co-educational government schools in the rural areas.

However, to the centre's chagrin, states are not building enough toilets. And if they are doing so, they are not reporting the progress under management information system.

On Monday, therefore, the centre asked the states to report the progress made under school sanitation and hygiene education (SSHE) so that information on the number of toilet units for girls could be compiled.

“The online monitoring system maintained by the department has the provision of reporting the number of toilets for girls (exclusively). However, it is noted that the progress against the same has not been reported by the districts while uploading monthly progress report,” J S Mathur, joint secretary in the department of drinking water supply wrote to all the states.

SSHE is an important component of TSC. It has provision for providing school toilet units in all government schools-primary, upper primary, secondary and higher secondary.

The funding for the school sanitation in TSC project is provided by the central and state government in the ratio of 70:30. The TSC guidelines lay emphasis on toilets for girls ion schools and that separate